Reed support for warp handling machines



Oct. 1, 1957 F. L. WIENEKE SUPPORT FOR WARP HANDLINGMACHINES Filed April 24. 195e 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Zrederzc l.. Miene/fe ATTORNEYS Oct. 1, 1957 F, wu-:NEKE

vREED SUPPORT FOR WARE HANDLING? MCHINS 4' Shaw-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1956 INVENTOIL v ATTORNE Y6 Oct. l, 1957 F. L wlENEKE 2,807,861

:REED SUPPORT Foa wAaP HANDLING MACHINES Filed April 24. 195e 4 sheets-sheet s l i x19 INVENToR. Frederic/ L. Wzene/fc ATTORNEYS Oct. l, 1957 F. L. wlENEKE 2,807,861

REED SUPPORT FOR WARP HANDLING-,MACHINES Filed April 24. 1956 4 Shets-Sheet 4 l INVENToR.' Fre def/C /f L. [f1/e elfe ATTORNEYS United States Patent REED SUPPORT FOR WARP HANDLING MACHINES l Application April 24, 1956, Serial No. 580,220

Claims. (Cl. 28-45) This invention relates to machines for selecting warp threads one by one and drawing the same through the `drop wires, heddle eyes and the dents of a reed for subsequent transfer to a loom. In such machines (see Patent 1,169,087), the reed is supported in upright position along the path of travel of a carriage which supports the reciprocating thread drawing needle and a so-called opener for separating the adjacent dents of the reed preparatory to projection of the needle therebetween. The present invention has more particular reference to the means yfor supporting the reed for limited endwise floating under the action of the reed opener.

The general object is to improve the oating mounting of the reed forthe purpose of reducing the danger of scoring or roughing the surfaces of the dents by their rubbing engagement with the opener.

.Another object is to substantially reduce the mass of reed support and its resistance to shifting in response to theaction of the reed opener in separating the dents.

. The invention also resides in the novel construction of the; reed mounting to provide proper lateral support for the reed dents adjacent their point of engagement'by the reed opener.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: n

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational vview of part of a warp drawing-in machine embodying the novel features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view broken away along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The warp drawing-in machine partially shown in the drawings to illustrate the improved reed support is of the conventional type having a carriage slidable along a guide 11 on a bed 12 and carrying a rotary opener 13 for separating the adjacent dents 14 of a reed 15 as the carriage moves along the latter. The opener is coupled to the end of an elongated drive shaft 16 (Fig. 4) and is journaled on a slide 17 guided in ways 17a on the carriage and urged by a spring 18 toward the reed and to the normal operating position shown in Fig. 3. When the slide 17 is retracted by an arm 19, a latch 20 engages behind a shoulder 21 to hold the slide and the opener from the reed. After removal and replacement of the latter, the latch is released allowing the slide to return to active position determined by engagement of an adjustable screw 22 with a stop 23 on a post 24'upstanding from the carriage 10.

The upper en-d of the post projects up through an opening in the slide 17 to support the latch 20 and a vertical plate 25 secured by screws 26 to the carriage 10 and disposed adjacent and behind the reed. This plate supports 2 one of the guides 27 through which a needle 28 is advanced to pick up a thread and, in its return stroke draw the thread through a drop wire, heddle eyes and the separated dents of the reed. The other needle guide 29 is mounted on an upright plate 30 clamped by screws 31 to the slide 17 between the latter and the reed.

As in standard reed constructions, the flexible dents 14 of the reed are disposed side by side and are suitably joined at opposite ends to upper and lower bars 32 and 33 which are usually circular in cross section. At opposite ends, the bars are joined by rigid cross members 34 one of which is coupled as by a latch 35 (Fig. 4) to an abutting rod 36 projecting from one end of the reed and carrying a dog 37 for actuating a switch 38. The latter Controls the selective energization of an electric motor 41 (Fig. 1) mounted on the carriage 10 and geared to a pinion 42 meshing with a rack 43 on the machine bed. As the rotating reed opener 13 enters between the successive pairs of dents of the reed to separate the same, it exerts a cam action which urges the reed as a unit and the rod 36 endwise in one direction thus actuating the switch 38 to start the motor 41. The carriage is thus moved a short distance corresponding to the lead of the disk-like opener, the switch then being opened to stop the motor. The latter thus operates intermittently to keep the carriage in step with the progress of the opener along the reed.

The present invention aims to substantially decrease the pressure of the rubbing engagement between the opener 13 and the reed dents 14 incident to the endwise shifting of the reed, thereby avoiding the objectionable marking of the dent surfaces that has occurred in prior constructions. reed 15 that substantially reduces the mass of the parts vrequired to be moved by the opener while at the same time providing adequate support for the reed dents adjacent the point of their engagement by the opener.v

To these ends, the lower bar 33 of the reed rests in the grooves of rollers 45 spaced along thebar and journaled in antifriction bearings on studs 46 which project from an elongated bar 47 supported on the machine bed through screws 47a by'which the vertical position of the rollers may be adjusted. The entire weight of the reed is thus sustained by the rollers which permit of endwise shifting of the reed with minimum frictional resistance. Atthe same time, the lower bar of the reed is held positively against shifting sidewise.

Near the upper ends of the dents 14 the reed is supported laterally by virtue of its rolling contact on opposite sides with two pairs 48 and 49 of circular disklike rolls mounted on the carriage 10 to follow along the reed with the opener 13. The rolls 48 which are disposed in front of the reed are journaled on pins 50 (Fig. 4) spanning spaced llanges 51 on a block 52 which is secured to the plate 25 above described. By adjusting the upper screws 31, the peripheries of the rolls 49 may be brought into close proximity to the dents 14 immediately below the upper bar 32 of the reed. The top of the latter is thus supported laterally by the movable peripheries of the two pairs of rolls 48 and 49.

The other two rolls 49 are staggered relative to the front rolls and are similarly journaled on pins 53 carried by a block 54 which is secured to the plate 3i) in a position to dispose the periphery of the rolls close to the upper ends of the reed dents thus providing a rigid but nevertheless rollable backing for the dents at points disposed close to the needle guides 27 and 29 and the area of engagement of the dents by the opener 13. Additional support for the dents on the front side of the reed is afforded by similar rollers 55 mounted on a block 56 rigid with the plate 25 below the guide 27.

This is accomplished by a novel mounting of the 1n the mounting above described, many of the parts heretofore used in supporting the movable reed unit have been omitted and the mass of the reed is reduced correspondingly. At the` same time,` the reed is supported laterally las well as, vertically by surfaces which permit free rolling back and forth` thus eliminating sliding friction. The reed is substantially more sensitive and more easily shifted cndwise by the action of the opener 13 to actuate the control switch 38. Asa result of the reduction in the pressure required to be applied by the opener to the reed dents, the danger of marriug or otherwise damaging the surfaces of the latter isvirtually eliminated. By` mounting the rolls 49 on the slide 17 along with the opener 13, theupper guides for the reed are separated from each other as the slide is retracted thus permitting easy removal and replacement of the reed.

l claim as my invention:

l. In a warp drawing machine, the combination of, a reed having upper and lower rigid bars spanned by a multipilicity of dents, rollers lying in the plane of the reed and spaced along said lower` bar for engagement with the underside of 4the bar, a pair of rolls freely rotatable about upright axes disposed on opposite sides of said reed with their peripheries lying against said dents onl opposite sides of the reed and below said upper bar, said rollers and rolls coacting to support said bars for free cndwise floating, a carriage supported adjacent said reed for` movement along the latter, means on said carriage supporting said rolls for adjustment toward and away from opposite sides of said reed, a slide mounted on said carriage for movement away from and toward said reed, and a rotary opener on said slide engageable near said rolls with successive pairs of said dents to spread the latter apart.

2. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a carriage movable along a rectilinear path and supporting a power driven reed opener, a reed having upper and lower rigid bars spanned by a multiplicity of dents and positioned for engagement with and separation by said opener at a point disposed between said bars, rollers lying in the plane of the reed and spaced along said lower bar for engagement with the underside of the bar and for free rotation about fixed axes extending transversely of said reed, and a pair of rolls freely rotatable about upright axes disposed on opposite sides of said reed with their peripheries lying adjacent opposite sides of said reed for engagement with the dents thereof near said opener.

3. In a warp drawing machine, the combination 0f a reed having upper and lower rigid bars spanned by a multiplicity of dents, rollers lying in the plane of the reed and spaced along said lower bar for engagement with the underside of the bar, a pair of rolls freely rotatable about upright axes disposed on opposite sides of said reed with their peripheries lying against said dents on opposite sides of the reed and below said upper bar, said rollers and rolls coacting to support said bars for free cndwise floating, a carriage supported adjacent said reed for movement along the latter, means on said carriage supporting said rolls for movement away from andl toward each other, and a rotary opener on said carriage engageable with successive pairs of said dents to wread the latter apart.

4. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a carriage movable along a rectilinear path and supporting a power driven reed opener, a reed havingupperand lower rigid bars` spanned by a multiplicity of dents and positioned for engagement with and separation by said opener at apoint disposed between said bars, rollers lying in the plane of the reed and spaced along said lower bar for engagement with the underside thereof, means supporting said rollers for free rotationabout fixed axes extending transversely of said reed, and a pair of rolls mounted on said carriage to rotate about upright axes disposed on opposite sides of said reed with their peripheries lyingl adjacent opposite sides of said reedfor engagement with the dents thereof.

5. In a warp drawing machine, the combination of, a reed having upper and' lower bars spanned by a multiplicity of dents, a carriage disposed adjacent said reed` for movement longitudinally of the latter, grooved rollers ReferencesCited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hathaway et al Jan. 18, 1916 Hathaway et al. June 28, 1921. 

